Omicron Cases in Noida: Health authorities are on their toes after five people, who recently returned from the United Kingdom, which is among the ‘at-risk’ countries and Singapore have tested positive for Covid-19.
New Delhi: Health authorities in Gautam Buddh Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh are on their toes as five people, who recently returned from the United Kingdom, which is among the ‘at-risk’ countries and Singapore have tested positive for Covid-19. At present, countries like the UK, South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Ghana, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Hong Kong, Tanzania and Israel are placed in the categories of “at-risk” nations. Earlier last week, Singapore was taken off from the list of ‘at-risk’ countries for international arrival into India.
Of the total 5, two of the patients— a mother-daughter duo were brought to the Noida Covid Hospital’s special ward for travelers from foreign countries. However, on Sunday, they left the hospital without informing the staff. Later they were traced and brought back to the hospital, the Times of India reported.
Speaking to the portal, officials said that the patients— residents of sector 137 were not comfortable in the hospital and thus they left while the staff was completing the formalities to admit them. The health department was alerted immediately, who reached the address provided by the woman.
“Her parents were found at the house. After the team counseled and informed them about the violation of Covid protocols by the woman, the two patients returned to the hospital early on Monday”, TOI quoted officials as saying.
Omicron In India
India’s tally of coronavirus cases rose to 61 after Delhi reported four fresh infections, while eight persons have tested positive for the new COVID-19 variant in Maharashtra on Tuesday. Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain said all six people who have so far tested positive for the omicron variant in the national capital had a history of traveling abroad.
“So far, six people have been found Omicron-positive in the capital. One of them has been discharged. All of them had traveled to foreign countries and were transferred to the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) hospital from the (Indira Gandhi International) airport,” Jain told reporters. The condition of the remaining five omicron-positive patients is stable, he said.
So far, Maharashtra has reported the highest number of cases at 28, followed by Rajasthan at 17. Omicron cases have also been reported in Karnataka (3), Gujarat (4), Kerala (1) and Andhra Pradesh (1) and Union Territories of Delhi (6) and Chandigarh (1).
Pre-booking RT-PCR Test Must For ‘At-risk’ Arrivals Into six Metros
Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Ministry yesterday said that passengers coming from ‘at-risk’ countries to six major Indian airports have to compulsorily pre-book for the on-arrival RT-PCR test from December 20 onwards. However, it clarified that in case a person faces any difficulty in pre-booking the test, the passenger must not be denied boarding. The six airports are Delhi, Mumbai Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.
“Air Suvidha portal would be modified to allow the passengers to mandatorily pre-book the RT PCR test if they are coming from the countries ‘at risk’ or have visited ‘at risk’ countries in the last 14 days”, an order by the Civil Aviation Ministry said, mentioning that the link to the airport website would be provided in Air Suvidha platform which would be displayed to passengers while filling up the self-declaration form.
